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Obama Lumps 'Elitism' Slams with 'Political Silly Season'
April 15, 2008 2:27 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said recent charges characterizing him as an elitist are part of a "political silly season" and hopes it will come to an end soon.
Speaking before a town hall in Western Pennsylvania disputed criticism from both his Democratic and Republican rivals who accuse him of looking down on small town voters after remarks surfaced from a San Francisco fundraiser last week where Obama said small town Pennsylvanians were "bitter" over the economy and thus "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them...as a way to explain their frustrations.
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
Both Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., have both come out strongly against Obama for the remarks, working his comments into stump speeches over the weekend and into the week.
Obama disputed the criticism strongly today, citing his personal story as evidence.
"I am amused about this notion of elitist given that when you are raised by a single mom, when you are on food stamps for a while when you were growing up, you went to school on scholarship," Obama said.
Obama continued, "We both had to finance our entire college education, our law school education, borrowing money and we paid all of our student loans I think about five years ago, six years ago. You know, we lived for the first 13 years of marriage up until 3 years ago, in a 3 bedroom condo without a garage so if you live in Chicago that means you are scraping ice every corner."
Obama's comments came after a town hall participant made a statement about the furor surrounding the "elitism" argument and accused the Clinton's of being "close to prejudice".
"The way that it is being used against you, it isn't far from uppity and I think the Clinton's are getting away with something that they must be called on they will continue to do it until somebody states: 'Mrs. Clinton, you are close to prejudice here, this is wrong, he does not have anything elitist about his upbringing, never will," the supporter said.
Obama responded directly, disputing the notion of any prejudice coming from Camp Clinton, "I don't think there are racial overtones to the attacks going on right now."
Obama inferred though that this issue is being capitalized on by his opponent due to her standing in the race, "This is what we do politically when we start to get behind in races and we start going on the attack."
The story of Obama's comments in San Francisco has dominated the news cycle for the last five days, with both McCain and Clinton offering fiery criticism each day.
“When somebody makes that argument -- particularly given I have spent my entire life working with workers and low income communities and try to make people's lives a little bit better -- then that's when you know we are in political silly season. Hopefully we will come to an end fairly soon," Obama said.
April 15, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (88)
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What's it gonna be Westie, a 30 or a 40 point win in PA for the tuzla tigress?
Posted by: The Commander Guy | Apr 15, 2008 3:05:21 PM
Amy, you got the point:
Hillary's Bosnia story hurts herself, Obama's marks insult People in small town.
Posted by: golfgirlusa | Apr 15, 2008 3:06:28 PM
TCG - I do not believe polls. Never have. But if Hillary wins by one vote that's good enough for me.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | Apr 15, 2008 3:07:13 PM
That man is such a liar, his grandfather was a working in a furniture store. His mother attended Mercer Island High School, then University of Hawaii, exactly where is all this poverty he is speaking about?
Posted by: SJ | Apr 15, 2008 3:08:36 PM
Obama was the one who started all the attacks on opponents since the beginning of his campaign.
His first mention of War he condemn Hillary and McCain for voting for it.
He failed to tell the people 77 Senators voted for it.
He failed to tell the people he voted to
continue the war.
He hasn't stopped since.
I doubt he McCain or Clinton could catch up to him with all the name calling, finger pointing, blaming, making up stuff, twisting the truth and misleading the people. Obama Has the corner on That. Plus demanding stuff be release, with the hope he could find something to use against people.
Shame on you Obama
You sold out the General Public, then lied about it, Then tried to tell us That is how we really did feel, Then tried to explain it away.
Can't you be a man once, Admit your mistake and Apologize. Apparently not!
Posted by: seah | Apr 15, 2008 3:10:25 PM
DC Voter. I feel your pain? Bill Clinton was the master of the emotion. But Hillary Clinton speaks from the heart? Do you really believe that? Do not conflate these people. Hill is not Bill. She is pure politics and most people find her attempts at warmth uncomfortable and phony. She is always trying too hard, which means she is a chameleon--whatever she has to be depending on which room she is in. Just the fact that she will drag the entire party into the mud for her own gain should be enough to turn anyone off. I used to like Bill, thought he did a pretty good job. But he annoys me now with his smugness. These people are the ultimate phonies. Someday I hope that New York State apologizes to the rest of us for letting the carpetbagger become Senator, which just fed her sense of entitlement. Bitter, damn right. Bitter about Bush/Cheney and now Clinton/Clinton.
Posted by: kay | Apr 15, 2008 3:11:12 PM
I like how Obama refused to play the race card. He's a real stand up guy.
Posted by: Z.D. | Apr 15, 2008 3:11:19 PM
I'm glad you've acknowledge Obama will be the Democratic nominee...
Good start Hillary supporters
Even with the "gaffe" the polls are unchange or have not drastically changed
Obama has widen his lead in National Polls
Closing into McCain in red states, while Hillary is down by double digits
Beating McCain in purple states, while Hillary is down...some by double digits in these states
SD are analyzing these poll
Posted by: Vanessa | Apr 15, 2008 3:11:22 PM
SJ - Obama - My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | Apr 15, 2008 3:17:22 PM
Excellent post DCVoter - I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Posted by: Bon53 | Apr 15, 2008 3:18:34 PM
DCVoter,
Outstanding treatise. If an uncommitted voter reads this it is clear which direction they should take.
Good work dude!
========================================
Clinton, standing up for one voter at a time!
========================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 15, 2008 3:19:39 PM
Dear DCVoter,
I see you have narrowed down the choice between Sense and Sentiment, Emotions vs Intellect. I am an independent voter and thinker who supports Senator Obama and it has nothing to do with Senator Clinton. It amazes me how we continue to make the same choices expecting different results. Who voted for Bush twice? The Emotional or the Intellectual?
Posted by: sandy | Apr 15, 2008 3:20:11 PM
Dogsoldier, I actually agree with your comments above. He made a mistake, but he didn't lie. My very practical thought is that- it is over- Hillary can't realistically earn this nomination without very publicly destroying the party. There's no other way. The democratic party won't allow that to happen. Hillary supporters are delusional that they don't seem to realize that they are clinging to ship that is sinking rapidly, and is now 95% below water. Jump off and save yourselves before she brings you down with her. All of our comments are wasted. Others feel free to chime in and threaten to vote for McCain in the National election- and I would like to point out that doesn't help anyone but conservatives like Hannity and Rush.
Posted by: rco | Apr 15, 2008 3:21:28 PM
DCVoter: Although you make some valid points, your conclusions regarding the appeal of Obama to emotion and Clinton to intellect is wholly wrong. One of the primary reasons why Sen. Clinton is having such a difficult time persuading Obama supporters and the Superdelegates who have pledged their support to him to back her campaign instead, is that the rationale in doing so wholly lacks merit. This reasoning is not directed at the Obama emotional quotient, as it were, it is directed at a consideration that requires a leap of intellectual faith. Obama supporters aren't fueled by sheer emotion, as considerate voters they have weighted the merits of both platforms and have determined that Sen. Obama is clearly best charged to lead this country.
Posted by: H. Aslan Aslani-Far | Apr 15, 2008 3:23:15 PM
You Clinton supporters need to drop it. I understand your support for you candidate, but its safe to conclude that the comments had no effect. In fact, the gave Obama a nice bounce in the national polls. Those of you had such a "big and huge" problem with them were not going to vote for him anyway. I bet if Clinton hadn't made such a big deal of it, you wouldn't have cared. This is more evidence of Clinton supporters being told what to think rather than thinking for themselves.
Posted by: Democrats United | Apr 15, 2008 3:33:54 PM
Not "hope" but marketing...
Not "change" but spin....
Obama really believes that the small town masses are bible thumping gun toting bigots....now lets see if he can convince them of that.
Posted by: Jackie | Apr 15, 2008 3:47:09 PM
Don't vote for him then! Get over it when he wins!
Posted by: Joe | Apr 15, 2008 3:49:28 PM
Julie, I don't think he said anything wrong..he was just being honest. Most people cannot take the truth...We are "bitter" about this administration who has killed our economy and 4000 men and women for oil. We do turn to our religion for strength, and to our traditions...
Posted by: cindyct | Apr 15, 2008 3:53:09 PM
mixediamerican....Obama had student loans just like the rest of us...he was a harvard graduate and could have been working for a law firm and making money but chose to live in a condo to work with the poor...WOW it is rteally weird how people turn things around. I am sure he didn't live like the 100 million dollar Clintons or McCain with his wife's billions.
Posted by: cindyct | Apr 15, 2008 3:56:35 PM
What happend to the fact Clinton just got ONE HUNDRED mayors to come out and support her ?
How can that NOT be a story? Thats a HUGE amount of support.
Posted by: tomdavie | Apr 15, 2008 3:57:00 PM
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